UConn lost a piece of its 2013-14 national championship team on Friday as the university announced that sophomore forward Leon Tolksdorf has opted to transfer to American.

The 6-foot-8 Tolksdorf is a native of Germany and appeared in 13 games for the Huskies last season, averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds per game in 3.6 minutes a game.

“Leon did everything we asked him to do at UConn, on the court and in the classroom,” UConn head coach Kevin Ollie said in the release. “He came to practice every day ready to work hard and push his teammates to improve. He was a big part of our winning the national championship. We wish him the best of luck as he moves on.”

“I have enjoyed two unforgettable years at UConn and I am proud to have been part of the Husky family,” Tolksdorf said in the release. “I never thought I would call Storrs a second home, but being at UConn and knowing my teammates has had a huge impact on me. At the same time, I am also excited to accept this new challenge in my life.”

Although Tolksdorf never cracked the rotation in his two years at UConn, he’ll have a much better chance to thrive in the Patriot League with American. The Eagles are coming off of a 2014 NCAA Tournament appearance under first-year head coach Mike Brennan and they’re only losing senior starting center Tony Wroblicky.

American will replace Wroblicky’s production with Nevada transfer Kevin Panzer — who transferred into the program last year and sat out the 2013-14 season due to transfer restrictions — this season, but Tolksdorf should be counted on to produce and help offset the loss of Panzer when he eventually takes the floor for American.